In the corporate world, the longest I ever held a job was three years. Because of my ADD, I was constantly striving for a change of atmosphere, and a change in responsibilities. I have now been at my job at a meditation center for over eight years. I have gathered a lot of information in the years that I have been here; not just different job skills, but about life itself. Here are the main philosophies I have learned to live by.

6 Steps total

Step 1: Respect cultural differences

Where I work is so culturally and religiously diverse, if you don’t respect the differences in others, you will not survive here. For example, since it is an ashram, and several people (not me) live here as well as work here, their beliefs propose that they live a vegetarian lifestyle. It has been the hardest challenge for me (being a meat-eater) but knowing that I am actually doing something healthy for my body and mind is very gratifying. Besides, I can have all the meat I want when I get home.

Step 2: Relax

There is absolutely no reason to get worked up about anything. When you put things into perspective, you’ll realize that there are more important things in life than to make sure the connection to the Internet works, or file permissions are set correctly.

Step 3: Maintain single-focused attention

I know most people pride themselves on being able to “multi-task”; however, in a study done at Stanford University (see Reference), it has been proven that the brain cannot process two things at once. It may seem like it, but what it’s actually doing is switching back and forth so rapidly between “tasks” that it eventually becomes overworked and stressed. Which then leads to the body shutting down so the brain can recharge itself.

Step 4: Slow Down

This one actually ties in directly with #2 & 3 above. Have you ever noticed that “the hurrier I go, the behinder I get”? The faster you go, the quicker you begin to lose control of your thoughts and actions. When you slow down and take the time to think about what you’re doing, mistakes are less likely to happen, therefore eliminating the need to do it all over again because you missed a step. Slowing down also minimizes the amount of physical ailments caused by stress: digestive problems, breathing and heart problems, and problems with the nervous system.

Step 5: Put the needs of others before your own

What is the reason we are in IT to begin with? Because we like to help people and solve problems. Our own satisfaction comes from helping others and figuring out solutions that the average person has no clue how to fix.

Step 6: Show compassion whenever possible

We all know how users can push our buttons and sometimes ask/say the stupidest things. But remember, they are people too, and have feelings and thoughts just like we do. A little compassion goes a long way in this field.

You know what I realized as I was writing this? These steps can apply to any environment, not only a meditation center. I try to follow these simple rules at home as well when dealing with a teenager that innocently gave out his email address and password because an Xbox friend said he could get him to “Prestige 10” (or something like that) in Black Ops. That was a three-hour recovery effort on a beautiful Saturday morning. I could have knocked him into next Tuesday, but I tried these steps instead. It probably made a much bigger difference in how he responded (and how well he learned THAT lesson), than if I had screamed and yelled at him. But it has taken working at a meditation center for me to appreciate that these few steps help out in all circumstances in life.

Great read and it's definitely beneficial. One has to keep in mind that there are others out there that are different from them and this can lead to some kind of conflict. Best bet is to just step back and relax.